Here is a snippet of news from Red Mountain Golf Club in Phuket. Work has just started on a new driving range at Red Mountain Golf Club in Phuket. Work has just started on the 16 bay practice area and should be complete in about 6 weeks. This together with the planned resort hotel, luxury villas, and integrated shopping center will have Red Mountain challenge Blue Canyon as the premier Phuket golf resort! In the meantime, stayed tuned for some new about lower green fees at the course. They are ...

Krungthep Kreetha golf course is reviewed here by long time Bangkok resident, Dwight Tichenor. Krungthep Kreetha is one of the older Bangkok golf courses and although it is located pretty much in town, it seems to be passed over by many local golfers: they are missing a fine, challenging golfing experience. Well maintained, with some of the finest fairways and greens in the area, it posses a fine test for every golfer. Never unfair, it brings out the best in your game, or...

Golf in Thailand measured by numbers of players, rounds played, and equipment sold could be generously described as flat this year. While some golf tour companies are seeing increases in arrivals, the number of rounds played at Thailand golf courses overall are 30% off from last season. Why the slowdown in the game’s growth and where is it headed? First of all, the good news for golfers who like to take golf vacations. Just look at how many people are discovering Thailand as the premier afford...

Last week I visited Khao Yai golf courses and get a general update on the golf scene in Thailand’s largest National Park and gateway to Issan. First up on my visit was Sir James Country Club. While the course is one of the closer ones to Bangkok I had difficulty finding the golf course as the highway sign still reads the old name, Forest Hills. Now it seems that the golf resort has gone down hill and retains hardly any of the good service that was prevalent when it was Forest Hills. This...

Ian, our man on the ground in Phuket and up-and-coming golf reporter has this to say about Phuket’s newest golf course; Punaka Golf Club. I have just come back from visiting Phuket’s latest golf development in the South of the island and was very impressed with what I saw. Really, I should not be surprised as the designer Jonathan Morrow is the man behind the very impressive Red Mountain Golf Course also in Phuket. However, in Mr. Morrow’s latest project the only similarity between the t...

Jim just sent me these tips which outlined how he managed his score when golfing in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai a few weeks ago. I thought I better share them with you before I forget. 1. SHORT GAME – WHERE MOST SHOTS ARE TAKEN (AND WASTED)Arrive 30 minutes early and head to the practice green. Then, practice chip and pitch shots before heading to the first tee. Chiang Mai Highlands has the best practice area in the area, so why not take advantage of it. Besides it is free and fun. Alpine Chiang ...

I was golfing at St. Andrews in Pattaya recently, and witnessed an unfortunate accident (thankfully, not involving a client of my Thailand golf vacation company). A visiting golfer from overseas was driving a golf buggy near to the clubhouse after his round when it appeared that the accelerator pedal jammed. As a result, the buggy smashed through six or seven sets of clubs awaiting their owners’ collection, and into the wall of the clubhouse, causing considerable damage to the golf club sets, ...

Jim’s just back from golfing in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai and I just got back from watching the Thailand Open in Phuket. While on his trip Jim came up with these 3 tips that worked for him and I can say after watching the pros in Phuket that the same basic concepts help them as well. Why not apply the tips to your game the next time when golfing in Thailand? Here they are: 1. ON THE TEE – JUST PUT IT IN PLAYThe purpose of the tee shot is to put the ball in play. When golfing in T...

Thailand’s royal seaside town and one of the best Thailand golf destinations, Hua Hin, will play host what promises to be one of feature tournaments on the Asian Tour. The Black Mountain Masters will be held at the Black Mountain Golf Club Hua Hin from March 23 and 29. It is the first professional golf tournament aimed not just to promote golf in Thailand, but also Hua Hin golf tourism; check out this FREE Hua Hin golf offer. With a prize pool of US$ 500,000 on offer and an impressive list of...

Here is a nice golf course review from a long time Thailand golfer and expatriate resident of Bangkok. I’m a bit old fashioned when it comes to golf. My 3 wood has a steel shaft, I use an Arnold Palmer blade putter, and I prefer to walk whenever feasible. I also really enjoy good traditional parkland style golf courses. I also like the modern designs and even some of the more unusual and flamboyant layouts, though it is the traditional parkland style layouts that I can play over and over again...

Hitting the ball thin, also known as skulling, is common among golfers in Thailand especially when hitting an approach shot from closely moved fringes or tight fairway lies. Thai golf courses with conditions and lies particularly prone to this are Siam Country Club, Plantation Course in Pattaya and Alpine Golf Resort in Chiang Mai. Skulling an approach shot not only ruins your chances to get up-and-down, but adds strokes to your score as well. Instead of being on the green sizing up a short put...

The Honda LPGA golf tournament will return to Pattaya on February 26. After a 1 year absence, the event will be held once again at Siam Country Club. However, this time the golf tournament will be held on the more challenging Siam Country Club, Plantation Course instead of the 2007 tournament site, the Siam Country Club Old Course. The new venue should make for some great golf, even if the scores are on the high side. Two young pro golfers from Thailand, Thidapa Suwannapura, and 13 year old Mor...

Here are 4 more cost saving ideas for your next Thailand golf vacation. 5. ACCOMMODATIONSWe are seeing some travelers stepping down this year from 5 star to 4 star hotels, and others from 4 star to 3.5 star. And for those who do want to keep the same standard as before, some hotels are offering special deals such as free room upgrades or perhaps a free night after x number of paid nights. This can bring the cost per night down significantly. Local agents will usually have the best and la...

With all the economic gloom and doom these days, many golfers are looking for ways to save money on their next Thailand golf tour and yet still have a great golf holiday. Over the next 2 posts I will summarize 8 ways our clients are doing just that: 1, TIMINGHotel prices can fluctuate significantly throughout the year depending on season. This is particularly true for beach destinations such as Phuket, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Samui. ‘High Season’ for tourism and prices in thes...

The Thailand Open will make an emphatic return to the Asian Tour schedule from March 5 to 8 at the Laguna Phuket Golf Club and boast prize money of US$500,000. Having not been played since 2005 due to a lack of sponsorship the event is now back in full swing. The tournament welcomes on board Singha Corporation (as in Singha beer) as the title sponsor and the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and PTT Public Company Limited as premier sponsors. It will be a full-field event on t...

Here is another short putting tip. When golfing in Thailand and I have a putt of ten feet or less (which is practically every hole), I make a slight change in the stance I use for longer putts. I stand so that the ball which is off my left toe on all putts is an inch nearer my foot. I also choke down (up if you are American) on my putter about 1 additional inch so that my hands are slightly nearer to the head of the golf club. Moving the ball in that inch changes the feeling I get about the kin...

Here are the Thailand professional golf events scheduled for 2009. Increasing parity between golfers from Asian and Europe was quite evident as well during The Royal Trophy held Jan 09 – 11 at Bangkok’s Amata Spring Country Club. In a format very similar to The Ryder Cup, The Royal Trophy matches Asia against Europe. The event was the brainchild of Seve Ballesteros with the perpetual trophy graciously donated by His Majesty The King of Thailand. During the first two editio...

Asian PGA Tour players would do well to brush up on their Thai language skills, as the tour will be making several golf stops in Thailand during 2009 with the season beginning and ending in the Kingdom and more events along the way. Great Thai golf courses and weather, combined with world class accommodations and famous Thai hospitality have apparently charmed the Tour into coming back again and again, much as it has for growing numbers of international holiday golfers and travelers....

Here is the final segment of the 12 reasons for a Thailand golf holiday article. 10. Accommodation. I know of no other place, be it for golf or not, that has a better selection and offers a better value of accommodations than Thailand, Even 3-star hotels are generally clean and comfortable with good facilities and represent great values. You have a wide choice according to your budget, from stunning 5 star resorts to small Thai style beach bungalows, and everything in between. 11. Tuition and ...

Continuing my 12 Reasons for a Golfing Holiday in Thailand, the first six of which were in the last 2 posts, here are the next three: 7. Food. These days most people know how delicious Thai food can be and for many golfers in Thailand, enjoying local food is an important feature of their holiday. Nor need the food be highly spiced – it is surprising how many Thais do not eat very hot food. It is said that Thais live to eat, not eat to live and, in addition to local food, yo...

Here are the next 3 of my 12 reasons for taking a Thailand golf holiday this year. 4. Caddies. What better a way is there to golf on unfamiliar resort courses then with someone to assist you in reading greens, judging yardages, and alerting you of hazards? Not to mention having an assistant to help with the mundane chores of tending the pin, raking bunkers, and cleaning clubs and balls sure makes golf in Thailand one of the most enjoyable ways to play the game. Most Thai caddies are female. Gen...

Before guests of my Thailand golf vacation company finish their golfing holidays here, I usually make a point of seeking out their opinion about their stay, what was good and what was not so good. This vital information helps me to continually improve our services, but also re-confirms to me what it is that makes Thailand so special as a golfing destination. Over the years I have distilled our clients’ views into a Dozen Reasons for a Golfing Holiday in Thailand, the first three of which are in...

Here is a drill that will sure to brand you as “insane” among your Thailand golf buddies. The funny thing is the laugh will be on them when you take their money on the golf courses because of all the short putts you make and the ones they do not. Most missed short putts on the golf courses in Thailand are the result of anxiety or lack of confidence rather than mechanics. Have you ever stared down your putt and felt that the hole appears small and remote? A simple yet effective way...

Here is a golf report from Chiang Mai by local resident Larry Fraser. I first played here three years ago, and a large factor in my coming back for a few months each year is the golf. If you come to Chiang Mai in the "cool season" to play golf you will not be disappointed. Who could ask for more; playing in the refreshing air, surrounded by spectacular mountain ranges, and among some of the nicest people in the world? There are about a dozen courses within 45 minutes of dow...

Tiger Woods' last trip to Thailand as a golf professional in early 2000 was a bit of circus. Politicians, media and other VIP’s almost stormed his plane when it touched down in Bangkok even before he could get his seat belt off. Tiger would describe it as the craziest week of his life but as usual gave one of his oh-so diplomatic answers he mentioned, "I always enjoy coming back to Thailand," continuing, "It's always neat to be back among family and friends."(ed. ye...

What do you do back home in the cold winter weather either before or after your Thailand golf holiday? Well how about sifting through all your golf memorabilia collected from past golf vacations? Here is a letter from a fellow reader of the Thailand Golf Zone that you might find interesting, and just maybe you can help Bob out. Hi Mark, I always get a lot of pleasure from reading your interesting articles on your Golfasian website, and I thought that just maybe some of your readers of Golfasia...

So, why would you combine a Thailand golf tour with Cambodia, that is aside from getting to play 2 great golf courses? In other words what else is there to do in Siem Reap? Well the obvious thing (and the main reason most people go there in the first place), is take in the famous World Heritage Site ‘Angkor Wat’ and other ancient Khmer temples in the area. Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century for King Suryavarman II as his state temple and capital, though it didn’t become well known t...

Siem Reap’s second championship golf course opened in early 2008. The 7,279 yard Nick Faldo designed Angkor Golf Resort is conveniently located near the airport and close to all area hotels. Carved out of land that was previously flat, featureless rice paddies, Faldo was able to use all his imagination at the Angkor Golf Resort, with the end result being a fun and challenging course that is very playable, though will play you if you are careless. This is one course you can’t just...

Golf in Cambodia can easily be combined with golf in Thailand and now more than ever golfers from around the world are discovering this new golf destination. The fabulous Buddhist temples of Siem Reap, Cambodia date back nearly 1,000 years and are one of the true wonders of the world. When constructed Cambodia was home of one the world’s great civilizations. Angkor Wat is by far the largest and most famous of the temples, though there are numerous others and each is unique, with i...

Golf can be a daunting game for even the most experienced (not necessarily good) golfers in Thailand. Luckily Bangkok is an ideal place for beginning golfers in Thailand to tee it up. With the helpful caddies at all Thailand golf courses, beginning golfers are able to play with experienced assistance at their side for the whole round. For example, golfers in Thailand sometimes forget the basic things that a new golfer struggles with, for example finding the next hole, observing b...